Couch-bed.



'No'. 707,807, Patented Aug. 26, I902.

F. M. TINKHAM.

COUCH BED.

(Application filed. Apr. 25, 1902.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

. Pat'ented Aug. 26, I902. r. m. TINKHAM.

COUCH BED.

(Application filed Apr. 21$ 1902.)

2.8heets-Sheet 2.

' (l0 Iodai.)

' NTTnD STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS M. TINKHAM, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

COUCH-BED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 707,807, dated August 26, 1902.

Application filed April 2 5, 1 9 2.

:0 construction of an article of furniture of this type of that class in which the sides of the couch may be swung outwardly into the plane of the top of the couch to provide a wide horizontal bed-frame, and in the provision of means for supporting these lateral extensions of the bed-frame rigidly, and in the particular construction of the supporting devices whereby they may be easily slid under the couch to permit the side frame to swing downward against the sides of the couch; and the invention consists in the construction hereinafter described, and sum-' marized in the claims.

In.the drawings forming part of this application, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a couch-bed constructed according to my in-' vention and showing only one of the side frames in extended position. Fig. 2 is an end elevation, somewhat enlarged, of a portion of a couch-bed and one side frame in extended position, showing the construction of the supporting devices whereby the side frame is rigidly upheld in the plane of the main bedframe.

the couch.

There is always a lively demand for the article of furniture referred to above, which while doing duty during the day-time as a 40 couch may be quickly extended laterally to constitute a bed, and various devices have been devised whereby the main bed-frame may be laterally extended for this purpose. As constructed at present, the defect common to all of these types of couch-beds is that the lateral extensions thereof are not rigidly supported, and therefore they sag under the weight of a person resting thereon, and this inventionis directed, primarily, to devices for 5Q obviating this defect.

In carrying out my invention the frame Fig. 3 is a similar View showing the 5 side frame swung down against the side of Serial No. 104,644. (No model.)

proper of the couch may be constructed in any suitable manner. I prefer, however, to make the end frames'a and b of metal tubing of inverted-U shape, having the longitudinal connections 0 c, in the form of tubes, and. other longitudinal connections below these, (indicated by (1,) in the form of rods, and similar transverse rod connections 6, substantially in the plane of the rod (1. Applied transversely to the end framesa and b are two which will permit of its being bent down wardly when the side frames are swung down to a vertical position, as described. These side frames consist of pieces of angle-iron h, like those which constitute the end of the bedframe, their free ends being connected by tubular or other brace-rods t, the pieces 71 being hinged atj to the ends of the membersfin such manner that when swung to horizontal position the side frames will be in the same plane as the pieces f.

In the drawings only one side frame is shown. Two may be applied to the couchframe, one on each side; but the construction thereof being identical it is thought sufficient to illustrate one only. The beds may be made either way, as desired.

A supporting-frame for the side frames of the couch is provided, which consists of the two L-shaped end pieces m, having a longitudinal brace-rod n and diagonal braces 0 extending upwardly across the corners of said frame, as shown in the drawings. .7 The lower down turned ends of the pieces mare provided with suitable casters, whereby the frame may be easily run in and out from under the couch, the two end pieces m being supported at their inner ends by resting on the rod d. Said inner ends are provided with a hooked extremity, (indicated by 1),) which when the supportingframe is drawn out, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, drops into engagement with the rod d, whereby all lateral movement thereof is prevented until said hooked extremities are swung upwardly to disengage them from said rod. On the outside of each of said hooked extremities there is cast a short rib in a plane at right angles to the rod connections 6, in which there is an oblong vertical opening q, through which the connections 6 pass and whereby the end pieces 0% of the supportingframe may be guided as the latter is slid in and out, but which permits vertical swinging movement of the hooked extremities of these pieces m.

To provide means for easily disengaging the hooks p from the rod d, there is secured to the brace-rod n a plate '1", on which the foot may be placed to swing said hooks upwardly, in which swinging movement they swing on the arms .9 in the direction of the arrow 19. These are pivot-ally secured to the end pieces 72 of the side frames and swing downwardly, and their lower ends are provided with hooks I, so located that as the side frame of the couch swings upwardly to horizontal position these arms will swing into engagement with the diagonal brace-rod o, the ends of which where they are connected with the end pieces m are so formed as to be engaged thereby. The bottom of the hook is curved upwardly, as shown clearly in Figs. 2 and 3, whereby the arm 8 has a locking engagement with said diagonal brace 0, from which it can only be released by lifting the arm out of engagement with the brace. To provide for the automatic disengagement of the arm 8 from this brace, the lower outer edge of said arm is curved, as indicated by u, and constitutes practically a cam, which when the supporting-frame is disengaged from the rod d and is slid under the couch to drop the side frame, will at a certain point of this movement come in contact with the rod d and be cammed out of engagement with the bracerod 0 and slide in between the members dand c, as shown in Fig. 3, and as the side frame of the couch swings down to vertical position the arm 8 will ride onthat part of the brace-rod o with which in another position the hooked end thereof engages. The arrow 8 indicates the curve described by the side frame in its descent. Therefore said hooked end by resting on the brace-rod o, as stated, is prevented from hooking onto the rod 01 as the parts are moved from the position shown in Fig. 3 to thatin Fig. 2. By reason of the engagement of the arm 5 with the brace-rod o the supportingframe may swing on this brace-rod when it is desired to lift the forward hooked extremity thereof out of engagement with the rod cl, and as soon as this has been effected the weight of the side frame, bearing, as it does, diagonally against the supporting frame through the arm 5, tendsto force said supporting-frame under the couch, the weight of the parts being sufficient to nearly comi plete this movement, or in some cases to completely effect it if the parts are all easily movable, the disengagement of the arm 8 taking place in the manner described.

Assuming the parts to be in the position shown in Fig. 3, if the frame 71 be raised to horizontal position the hook s bears on the diagonal brace 0 and is drawn across it until the hooked end thereof arrives in position to engage said brace in the manner shown in Fig. 2. until this hook s engages the brace 0, when said sliding frame is by the continued movement of the side frame drawn out from under the couch to the position shown in Fig. 2, the hooked end of the side frame engaging with the rod (1 at the moment the side frame reaches a horizontal position.

From the foregoing description of the construction it is seen that by the locking engagement of the arm 8 with the supportingframe "and the positive engagement of the latter with the couch-frame there is provided a practically rigid support for the side frames of the couch, because the down wardly-turned extremities of the end frames m rest on the floor at a point nearly under the end of the side frame, and these parts constitute a support for the side frames which is practically as unyielding as a vertical post, and yet which may all slide under the couch-frame in a manner which permits the use of the latter as a couch during the daytime.

In the drawings the dimensions of the various parts have been greatly exaggerated relative to the general dimensions of the couch; but this is only for the purpose of making the construction clear.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a couch-bed, bed-bottom supports extending transversely of the couch, a side frame pivotally attached to the ends of said bed-bottom supports, arms depending from the side frames, a support for said side frames sl'idable in and out from beneath the couch on the floor, devices on said side-frame support, and on said arms adapted to become engaged by the upward-swinging movement of the side frame, whereby the side-frame support may be withdrawn from under the couch, together with automatically-operating interlocking means between said arms and the side-frame support operable at the limit of the outward movement of the latter.

2. In a couch-bed frame, bed-bottom supports, a side frame pivotally attached thereto and adapted to swing from a horizontal, downwardly'to a vertical position, or vice versa; a frame slidable on the floor and on the frame of the couch, in and out under the latter, a device on said sliding frame for interlocking with the frame of the couch at the limit of its outwardly-sliding movement, and a connection between the sliding frame and the side The sliding frame on is not moved tgo frame, whereby the upwardly-swinging movement of the latter will operate to draw out said sliding frame from under the couch.

3. In a couch-bed frame, bed-bottom supports, a side frame pivotally attached thereto and adapted to swing from a horizontal to a vertical position downwardly, and vice versa; a frame slidable toward and from the couch under said side frame, an arm on the latter to engage said slidable frame on the outward movement of the latter, whereby said, side frame is rigidly supported in horizontal position; a device on said slidable frame for interlocking with the couch-frame when the side frame is extended, and means for pivotally rocking said slidable frame on said arm to disengage the former from its engagement with the couch-frame.

4. In a couch-bed frame, bed-bottom supports, a side frame pivotally attached thereto and adapted to swing from a horizontal downwardly to a vertical position, or vice versa; a frame slidable on the floor and on the frame of the couch, in and out under the latter; a device on said sliding frame for interlocking with the frame of the couch at the limit of its outwardly-sliding movement, an interlocking connection between the sliding frame and the side frame, and means whereby, upon the inward movement of the sliding frame, the disengagement of the interlocking connection between said side frame and said sliding frame may be effected.

5. The combination in a couch-bed, of a side frame pivotally attached thereto, which may be swung upward into horizontal position in the plane of the top of the couch; of a frame slidable on the floor in and out from under the couch, and a pivoted arm constituting a vertical brace. between said side frame and slidable frame and adapted to engage the sliding frame, to draw it outwardly by the upward movement of the sideframe, and interlocking devices between said arm and the sliding frame to lock the arm in frame-supporting position at the limit of the upwardly-swinging movement of said frame.

6. The combination in a couch-bed, of a side frame pivotally attached thereto, which may be swung upward into horizontal position in the plane of the top of the couch, of a.

frame slidable on the floor in and out from under the couch, and a pivoted arm constituting a vertical brace between said side frame and slidable frame, adapted to be automatically locked in side-frame-supporting po- FRANCIS M. TINKHAM.

Witnesses:

WM. H. CHAPIN, K. I. OLEMoNs. 

